


The Potions Tutor

by Inell



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Father-Son Relationship, M/M, Post-Divorce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-08
Updated: 2014-11-08
Packaged: 2018-02-24 15:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2586863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inell/pseuds/Inell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry keeps getting distracted</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Potions Tutor

It’s Harry’s month with the kids, and he’s trying to get used to having them around. He knows Ginny would probably slap him upside the head if she knew he thinks that way, but they’re at Hogwarts for so many months that it’s difficult to get any kind of routine going. This is only the second summer since the divorce, after all, and the first one since Grimmauld Place renovations were completed. While Kreacher is thrilled to have ‘little ones’ to look after, Harry just feels the stress of having three teenagers bored out of their minds interrupting his normal daily routine.

He’s trying to finish research for a case, Al is upstairs painting his bedroom for the fifth time since he moved in, and Lily’s spending the night at Ron’s, since he’s got his kids this week. Harry wonders sometimes if it might not have been easier to flip flop weekends instead of months, since that seems to work really well for Ron and Hermione, but Ginny thinks the monthly thing is better for the kids since this is still new for them. James isn’t doing as well in Potions as he wants, so he’s got some tutor coming to help him with his potions coursework. Harry can understand that since Hermione helped him and Ron survive classes, after all. He figures one of the multitude of cousins will be visiting, and he just hopes it’s Louis or Hugo since they’re not as chatty as the others.

There are beakers and bottles spread out over the table by the window, and he’s already distracted from his paperwork by James singing some Muggle song under his breath while he organizes his work space. When the buzzer rings, he starts to consider moving his work upstairs even if it means giving up his desk for a few hours. That thought goes away when Kreacher leads in a familiar figure.

“What are you doing here, Malfoy?” he asks, standing up and frowning as he tries to think of any reason Draco Malfoy would be popping in for a visit. While they’re civil and polite with each other, the term friend isn’t one that comes to mind. 

“I was invited, Potter,” Malfoy drawls, reaching up to push his spectacles up in such a way that it just oozes superiority. When did Malfoy get specs? And why do they make him look rakishly handsome when they’ve never made Harry look that way? It’s not fair.

“He’s my Potions tutor, Dad.” It’s fortunate that James interrupts before Harry can say something likely immature and juvenile. He tries to remember he’s forty now, which means setting a good example and all that shite.

“One of your cousins can’t tutor you?” Harry arches a brow and looks at his son. “Or one of your aunts or uncles?”

James shrugs. “Mum said she’d take care of it, and she heard he’s one of the best. I don’t care who does it, so long as I can bring my marks up before taking my OWLs. I’m not as smart as some of the cousins, but I’m going to beat Freddy in Potions so I win our bet.”

“While the inner workings of the Potter-Weasley clan is fascinating,” Malfoy says in a tone that clearly indicates it’s anything but fascinating, “I do have other things to do with my time. We should get started before I have to endure any more of this prattle.”

“Fine. Since you’re already here and Ginny’s obviously taken leave of her senses and hired you, get to work.” Harry sits back down and picks up his file. It’s pointless, though. He’s trying to figure out why Ginny would hire Malfoy to tutor their son, especially knowing this is Harry’s month with James. It’s bollocks is what it is, and he’s going to have a few choice words for her when they Floo call later.

It’s even more difficult to focus on his work when Malfoy’s around. He’s speaking quietly, obviously knowledgeable about Potions in a way that reminds Harry of their schooldays and Snape’s preferential treatment that they always assumed was based on favoritism instead of ability. Harry likes listening to him talk, and he finds himself staring at the parchment without seeing any words as he loses himself to the tutoring lesson. When he hears them start to measure and sort ingredients, he turns his chair slightly, giving him a view without being too obvious.

Malfoy’s hair is getting longer, and he wonders if his wife is the one who preferred it shorter. Their divorce didn’t make headlines like his or Ron’s, but he still heard gossip about it because the elder Malfoys were horrified when Astoria filed before running off to Spain with Dennis Creevey of all people. Divorce seems to agree with Malfoy because he looks good. Not that Harry’s paid enough attention to him lately to know how he usually looks, but, right. His hair’s longer, his body is lean and his rolled shirt sleeves show off muscular forearms that are almost as distracting as his voice.

Hexing is too good a fate for Ginny. She knows his type, since they’ve always been honest with each other even during the divorce and aftermath, and she has to hire the man he admitted to having more than one wet dream about when he was young and too stupid to realize bisexuality might be something he should learn about. Of course, now that he remembers Ginny _knows_ about that past admiration for Malfoy, he realizes why this is happening. It’s payback, Ginny-style, for embarrassing her during her date with Oliver.

Harry wouldn’t be surprised if Malfoy isn’t even a tutor and is just an unknowing pawn in Ginny’s evil scheme. The spectacles and longer hair and rolled up sleeves and form fitting trousers tick off several boxes in the ‘how to turn Harry Potter on’ list, after all, and he’s certainly embarrassed by his reaction to his son’s tutor. Maybe not as much as Ginny was when he interrupted what he had no idea was actually a date to ask her if she’d borrowed his favorite dildo last time she visited because he couldn’t find it anywhere. Merlin, he should have been embarrassed, in retrospect, but it was just Ollie, who knew him pretty well after all these years.

So, yes, this is obviously dildo date discussion repayment. When Malfoy bends over to pick up the quill that fell, Harry has to bite his lip to keep from making a completely inappropriate noise. The material of his trousers pulls even tighter, snug against his arse, and he feels the stirring of attraction as he takes the opportunity to ogle him.

“Dad, seriously? That’s just gross.” James grimaces and gives Harry a disgusted look. Malfoy turns, arching a brow and looking curious.

“James Sirius, if you want to visit Teddy over the weekend, you’ll bite your tongue now,” Harry warns, feeling warmth spread down his neck.

Malfoy continues to look confused before his gaze lingers on Harry’s ears, which he knows must be red because they have the bad habit of doing that when he’s embarrassed. Harry watches Malfoy’s lips twitch slightly before he moves his gaze over Harry in a decidedly impolite way.

“Let me just finish this potion, then you two can eye shag all you want when I’m somewhere not here being subjected to such trauma.” James groans. “Dad, go check on Al or something. The paint fumes are probably frying what little brain he still has after spending the year in Hufflepuff.”

“Right. I’ll, uh, just go.” Harry stands up and decides that Ginny must have convinced Jamie to act as an accomplice to the whole ‘let’s humiliate Harry today’ scheme. “Malfoy, please forgive my son’s lack of tact.”

Malfoy snorts. “As if I’d expect anything else from the spawn of Potter and She-Weasley.” He brushes invisible lint off his trousers before looking up at Harry from beneath lowered lashes. “Perhaps we could get a coffee once the session is complete.”

It’s phrased like a question, but Harry doesn’t think Malfoy is actually asking. He tilts his head to the side and wonders if he can actually do this, especially when it’s bloody Malfoy, who is still so superior and pompous. Remembering that arse and watching the spectacles slide down his pointy nose, he knows he can definitely do this. He slowly smiles and nods. “Coffee’d be good. There’s a place close by that has great scones.”

“A Muggle place?” Malfoy wrinkles his nose before he sighs. “Fine, if we must.”

“You’re lucky he’s been staring at you, Dad, because that was bloody awful. No wonder you never date since the divorce,” James scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Now that you’ve got a date with my tutor, go away so I can learn this potion without you distracting him.”

Harry watches Malfoy glare at James, and his smile widens. Guess he wasn’t the only one doing some ogling, which makes him feel rather smug. “Watch your attitude, Jamie, or I’ll make you help Kreacher with dinner,” he warns, winking at Malfoy and delighting in the way he ducks his head almost shyly. 

Maybe he won’t have to hex Ginny, after all.

End


End file.
